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“It is,” Esther agreed, giving Jonathan a little squeeze. His scent filled her senses, making her feel lightheaded. “Just like a movie.”
“How’s your writing going?” Melody asked Jonathan.
He cleared his throat. “It’s going okay, I guess.” His hand spread out across Esther’s shoulder blade, his fingertips stroking bare skin on the back of her neck.
“He’s being modest,” Esther said, trying not to shiver. She launched into an enthusiastic description of his sci-fi screenplay, waiting for him to pipe up and take the baton from her. Instead, he just watched her, listening with a bemused look on his face.
After a few more minutes of polite chat, during which Jonathan barely spoke or took his eyes off Esther, Jeremy and Melody excused themselves to greet a newly-arrived friend.
“Thank you,” Jonathan said into Esther’s ear as they moved off. “You didn’t have to do that.”
She gazed up at him, feeling that swell of protectiveness again. His hair had gotten fluffy on top, and she reached up to smooth it down. “That’s what friends are for.”
He blinked at her, something uncertain stirring in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could they were interrupted.
“Jonathan!” a guy in a green baseball cap said, clapping him on the back. “How’s it going, man?”
Jonathan pivoted to greet him, leaving Esther to wonder what he’d been about to say.
Two hours later, Esther was deep in a conversation with one of Kelsey’s actor friends. He’d done small parts in a few movies she’d seen, and a short arc on a network drama series. He had a lot of good Hollywood gossip to share: which actors were assholes, who was sleeping with who, that sort of thing.
The guy seemed nice, but she wished she was talking to Jonathan instead. They’d only split up when she’d ventured off on her own to check out the food spread, and gotten sucked into conversation with the actor over the crudités.
Jonathan was on the other side of the room talking to some college friends. But while he was talking to his friends, he was watching Esther. Checking on her. Every time she looked over at him, his eyes were on her. It made her feel nervous, but in a good way. A fluttery, excited, breathless kind of way.
“Do you need a drink?” the actor asked her. She couldn’t remember his name. Something with a B, maybe.
“No, I’m good.” She felt the exact right amount of relaxed. One more drink and she’d start to feel too loopy. Out of control. She didn’t like feeling out of control.
The actor—Bryan? Brandon?—started telling her about a famous movie star he’d worked with who had a drug problem. He didn’t want to say the guy’s name. He wanted her to guess. Esther didn’t feel like guessing, but she played along.
Jonathan was watching her again. When he caught her eye this time he lifted his chin, and her stomach did an unexpected barrel roll.
“Excuse me,” she said to the actor. “I’ve got to go talk to my friend.” She made her way over to Jonathan. “Hey.”
He turned his back on the people he’d been talking to. “Hey.” His eyes had gone dark beneath his heavy lashes.
Something fluttered in her chest. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”
“You didn’t.”
“Okay.” They were standing close. It had gotten crowded in the living room, and they were practically chest to chest.
He leaned even closer to speak into her ear. “Are you still having a good time?” The warmth of his breath on her cheek sent goose bumps down her arms.
“I am.” Her heart felt like a balloon that had been filled beyond capacity. In danger of popping at any second. “Are you?”
He shrugged.
The nearness of him was fogging her brain. He hadn’t smoked all night, and he still had that intoxicating piney smell. Maybe it wasn’t pine, maybe it was cedar. Whatever it was, she liked it. Had he always smelled this good beneath the cigarette smoke?
Heat prickled at the back of her neck. The room was starting to feel claustrophobic. “Do you want to get out of here?” she asked, hoping he’d say yes.
Jonathan gazed at her, taking his time before he answered. The space between them seemed to crackle with potential energy. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“Yes.” She swallowed. Her mouth had gone dry. “I do.”
A slow smile spread across his face, and he reached for her hand. “Come on.”
